Demountable flume construction



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 /g d l INVENTOR @055 @fausto/2 ATTORNEY Nov. 4, 1947.

R. HOUSTON DEMOUNTABLE `FLUME CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 4, 1945 R. HOUSTON 2,430,018

DEMOUNTABLE FLUME CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 4, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 mwm A) w 5% M Q/ @7 T-Il 2 ,ML f j? @w Nov. 4, 1947.

III

INVENTOR $055 v/@szo/z ATTORNEY Nov. l4, 1947.

R. HOUSTON DEMOUNTABLE FLUME CONSTRUCTION sheetssheet 5 Filed Sept. 4, 1945 rEh ATTRNEY Patented Nov. 4, 1947 2,430,018 DEMOUNTABLE VFLUME CONSTRUCTION 'j Ross Houston, Tacoma, Wash.

Application. September 4, 1945, Serial No. 614,311

8 Claims.

This invention relates in general to lumes such as those commonly employed to convey water for various purposes, for example, for use in mining operations, for use in mills, and, in particular, for use for irrigation purposes.

More specifically, this invention relates to wooden umes required for the conveying of water.

An object of this invention is to provide a wooden flume construction in which the flume will be composed of prefabricated pieces which can quickly and easily be assembled so Vthat the actual setting up of the flume will require a minimum of expense, time and labor.

A further object is also to provide a flume which can be just as quickly and easily dismantled and the fiume members removed.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved flume construction in which the various members composing the iiume can be used over and over in subsequent flumes.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a composite fiume construction in which the same members can be used to construct lumes of different sizes, depending upon the particular requirements.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved wooden flume construction which will be simple, practical and relatively inexpensive.

These objects and other incidental advantages I attain by means of certain prefabricated individual members which are fashioned and employed in the manner hereinafter briey described.

In the following description reference is made to the accompanying drawings in'which:

Figure 1 is a view of isometric perspective of a portion of a ume made in accordance with my invention and illustrating one way in which my invention can be carried out;

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the fiume of Fig. l', the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l and the fiume support being omitted from this gure Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan section corresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse section similar'to Fig. 2 but illustrating a modification in the arrangement of parts by which modification a wider Hume is obtained from the same members;

Figure 5 is a trarsverse section showing another flume still wider;

Figure 6 is a transverse section of a further modification of my flume;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the flume supporting means of Fig. 1, this View being taken from below the flume;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the ilume supporting means;

Figure 9 is a transverse section of a ume formed in accordance with my invention illustrating the use of additional longitudinally-extending sealing strips between the members;

Figure 10 isa transverse section of a similar flume illustrating how a separate waterproof liner can be embodied in the flume construction if desired;

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the liner before being included in the fiume construction;

and

Figure 12 is a transverse section of the flume illustrating the way in which the liner is set in place.

Referring first to Figures l, 2, 3, 7 and 8, the flume illustrated in these figures is formed of bottom boards I3 and side members, indicated m general by I0. The width of the bottom boards I3 is preferably equal to the desired overall width of the flume and the bottom boards are joined end to end by the usua1 splines I4 which constitute waterproof connecting joints. The sides I0 are L-shaped members and each side member comprises a main portion I I and a iiange portion I2 extending at right angles to the main portion. The sides I0 of the fiume are secured to the bottom I3 by means of bolts I5 extending through the flanges I2. The sides I0 are also joined at their ends similarly by the usual splines IB so as to make waterproof joints.

Preferably I make the length of the side members- I0 and the length of the bottom boards I3 the same. In such case the joints of the flume sides are preferably arranged so as to come midway between the joints of the bottom boards I3, as shown in Fig. 1. This arrangement of the joints gives maximum rigidity to the iiume. Also it is desired to have the joints of the bottom boards occur at the location -of the flume posts or supports as far as possible, this location of the Ibottom board joints being shown in Figures 1, '7, and 8.

For holding the tops of the side members I0 in line I use tie bars I9 spaced at intervals along the flume. U-shaped metal clips 20 are bolted to the ends of the tie bars I9, as shown in Figures l and 2, and t down over the top edges of the side members, thus acting to keep the tops of the opposite side :members spaced the proper distance apart and aiding in holding the flume sides inline.

The flume shown in Figures 1, 7 and 8 is supported at regular intervals (preferably at the locations of the end joints between the bottom boards I3, as previously mentioned), on posts 2l. A transversely extending T-shaped wooden saddle 22 is mounted on each post, the bottom rib of the saddle 22,resting in a slot provided in the top of the post and secured therein by suitable Ingalls such .as a bolt .23. The size of the nb slot in the top of the post is made the same as the cross section of the saddle rib so that the saddle 22 will rest firmly and securely on the post. The length of the saddle is preferably the sam-e as the width of the ilume bottom I3, as shown in Fig. 7. The flume may be secured to the saddle 22 in any desired manner, but I prefer to use a pair of metal saddle clamps 24 at each end of the saddle for this purpose. These metal clamps 24 extend part way over the saddle at each side and each saddle clamp is attached to the flume by one of the bolts l5 which extends through the flange of the L-shaped side member IB through the trough bottom. These saddl-e clamps permit some lateral movement of the trough bottom i3 with respect to the saddle such as occurs with the lateral expansion or contraction of the bottom boards I3 under certain conditions. As apparent from Figures 7 and 8 the various parts of the supporting means are easily removable when the flume is to be dismantled or moved from one place to another.

In the flume construction described thus far the L-shaped side members l@ are arranged with their bottom flanges l2 located on the outside the trough. However, if a wider trough is required this may be formed as shown in Figur-e 4. In such case the bottom flanges of the side member iii are located on the inside of the trough and are bolted to the bottom boards i3' in the position illustrated in Figure 4.' The ybottom boards i3 are exactly the same width as the bottom boards I3 of the trough shown in Figures 1 and 2 but the effective width of the trough is made greater by different arrangement of the flanges of the side members. The tie bars I9' for the wider trough of Fig. 4 are similar to the tie bars previously described, except that they are madelonger to correspond to the greater trough width. The metal clips 28 are attached to the ends of the tie bars in the same manner as previously mentioned.

Obviously thewidth of the trough in Fig. 4 is limited only by the width of the bottom boards i3. It would ybe possible of course to substitute a plurality of bottom boards for each of the single bottom boards i3 and then the individual boards could be joined together along their longitudinal edges by longitudinally extending splines. Such a trough bottom construction is well known in the art, but this construction would be more complicated and expensive and would require more time and labor in setting up the trough.. Therefore, I consider it less practical for use where the trough is to be subsequently dismantled and transferred from one place to another. -lowever, if a wider trough is desired than is possible with the use of a single bottom board, or if bottom boards of suitable width, such as the boards i3 or i3', are diicult or expensive to obtain, the bottom oi the trough in my construction can very satisfactorily be formed from pairs of flanged L-shaped members similar to those used for the trough sides. Such a trough with the bottom formed in this manner is shown in cross section in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 5, pairs of flanged L-shaped members 25, similar to the side members l of Figs. l, 2, and 4, are placed with their flanged edges in abutment and the abutting flanges are bolted tightly together. In this manner the pairs of flanged members form a strong, rigid and satisfactory bottom for the trough. The two flanges 26, when secured together, constitute a central longitudinal rib-forthe troughbottom and consequently contribute additional rigidity to the trough. By bolting the two flanges 26 together the bottom can easily be dismantled when the trough is to be taken down. When this modified trough bottom construction is used a corresponding groove is cut in the trough supporting saddles, (such a saddle being indicated by the broken line 2l in Fig. 5). For completing this trough the L-shaped side members 28 of similar cross section to the members 25, are bolted to the trough bottom, as shown, and finally elongated tie bars 29, with the usual clips 20 at the ends, connect the top edges of the opposite sides of the trough.

In special cases it may be necessary to provide not only an unusually wide trough, such as illustrated in Fig. 5, but also a trough which is deeper than is possible with single side members. In such exceptional cases I use additional doubleflanged members, such as shown at 30 in Fig. 6. These double-flanged members 3 are similar to the L-shaped members previously described except that they have an integral flange 3l along both longitudinal edges. Both flanges 3l extend at right angles to the main portion of the member 3E but the flanges extend from opposite sides, thus causing the members 30 to be more or less Z-form in cross section. In constructing such an oversized trough the bottom half of each side is formed with these double-flanged members 3D and then the regular L-shaped members 28 are used for the upper half of each side. The double-flanged members 30 are bolted to the trough bottom in the usual manner and the upper side members 28 are secured to the doubleflanged members 36 by bolts 32 extending through the adjoining flanges as shown. Finally tie bars 29 connect the top edges of the upper members 28 of the trough sides.

Even when my trough is made in the exceptionally large size illustrated in Fig. 6, it will nevertheless be apparent that the bolting of the prefabricated pieces together and the insertion of the end splines between the various members will require only a minimum of time and labor, and also such a trough is easily taken apart when no longer needed in the particular location and the individual members may be used again for the construction of another trough in any of the ways which I have described.

Further modications are also possible with my demountable flume construction. For example, if it is desired to make the flume exceptionally leak proof, gasket strips or sealing strips of suitable material, such as asphalt-treated material, may be placed along the longitudinal joints between the various members. Fig. 9 shows the use of such longitudinally-extending sealing strips. In the trough illustrated in Fig. 9 the bottom is formed of L-shaped members 4l] and 4| with the sealing strip 42 interposed along the longitudinal joint. Similarly sealing strips 43 and 44 are placed between the L-shaped side members 45 and 46 and the bottom members respectively.

Another way in which my demountable flume can be made leak proof is with the addition of a separate water-proof liner extending over the entire inside surface ofthe completed flume. A simple and practical way of installing such a liner in'my ume is illustrated in Figs. 1f), l1 and 12. While various materials can be employed for the liner I have found heavy asphalt-treated paper to be satisfactory and practical aswell as inexpensive. The liner can conveniently be made in 5 suitable lengths and formed with a middle strip 41 and two side strips 48 and "i9 which are folded over the middle strip. The middle strip 41 is wider than the inside width of the trough, the folded-over side strips 48 and 49 are narrower than the middle strip. rIhe liner is placed on the trough bottom 5!) before the side members 5I of the trough are attached. The side members 5I are then bolted to the bottom in the usual manner, thus holding the liner in place at each side. Thenuthe side strips 118 and 4Q are lifted and placed over the inside of the trough side members 5l and folded over the top edges, as shown in Fig.

-10. The tie bars 52 with the clips 53 are finally placed over the liner at the top edges of the sides and thus hold the upper edges of the liner side strips in place. The liner section lengths are arranged so as to overlap a slight distance at their ends, and, if desired, the overlaps can be sealed with tar or asphalt. However, I/ consider this generally unnecessary since a mere overlapping of the liner lengths is sufficient for all ordinary purposes. The overlap of course is in the direction of the water flow. It might, in addition, be possible to make one of the side strips of the liner of such additional width that it could also finally be made to extend over the top of the trough to keep the sun from reaching the inside of the trough-a modification which might be desirable in hot, dry climates Where the water must be carried considerable distance.

Other modifications would be possible within the scope of my invention without departing from the main feature of having the trough readily demountable.

I claim:

1. In a wooden flume construction of the character described, a flume bottom, flanged, L- shaped side members mounted on top of said fiume bottom, means for securing the flanges of said side members to said flume bottom, said side members capable of being arranged with their flanges extending along the outside of the flume for one width of flume and with their flanges extending along the inside of the flume when a wider flume is to be formed.

2. In a demountable wooden ume construction, a bottom and side walls formed of prefabricated members, the sides of the flume consisting of flanged, L-shaped members mounted on top of u said flume bottom, means for demountably securing the flanges of said side members to said flume bottom, said side members capable of being arranged with their flanges extending along the outside of the flume for one width of ume and with their flanges extending along the inside of the ume when a wider flume is to be formed. f

3. A wooden flume including a flume bottom, the sides of the flume consisting of anged, L- shaped side members mounted on top of said flume bottom, means for securing the flanges of said side members to said flume bottom, said side members capable of being arranged with their flanges extending along the outside of the flume for one width of flume and with their flanges eX- tending along the inside of the flume when a wider flume is to be formed, and tie bars extending transversely across the top of said flume.

4. A demountable wooden flume including a 70 flume bottom, flanged L-shaped side members mounted on top of said flume bottom, means for demountably securing the flanges of said side members to said flume bottom, demountable tie bars extending transversely across the top 0f said flume, and supports for the flume, each of said supports including a central vertical post and a saddle member secured on the top of the post and extending transversely below the flume.

5. In a fiume construction, a ume bottom, said bottom composed of pairs of flanged, L-shaped members arranged with their anges in abutment along the center of the flume bottom, said abutting flanges demountably secured together, said members when so arranged forming a rigid ribbed bottom construction, and side members demountably secured to said bottom.

6. In a wooden flume, a nume bottom, said bot tom composed of pairs of flanged, L-shaped members arranged with their flanges in abutment along the center of the flume bottom, said abutting flanges secured together, said members when so arranged forming a ribbed bottom construction, the sides of the flume including flanged members similar to the flanged members composing said flume bottom, and tie bars extending transversely across the top of said ume.

7. A. demountable Wooden flume comprising a ume bottom, said bottom composed of pairs of flanged, L-shaped members arranged with their flanges in abutment along the center of the flume bottom, said abutting flanges demountably secured together, said members when so arranged forming a ribbed bottom construction, the sides of the ume consisting of flanged, L-shaped members similar to the flanged members composing said flume bottom, mounted on top of said flume bottom, means for demountably securing the d, flanges of said side members to said flume bottom, demountable tie bars extending transversely across the top of said flume, clips attached to the end of said tie bars fitting down over the top edges of the sides, and supports for the fiume, each of said supports including a central vertical post and a saddle member secured on the top of the post and extending transversely below the flume.

8. A demountable wooden flume construction -of the character described including a bottom and side walls formed of prefabricated members, the side walls consisting of flanged, L-shaped members, said side Walls mounted on top of the fiume bottom, means for demountably securing the flanges of said side walls to said flume bottom, demountable tie bars extending transversely across the top of said fiume, and a liner extending along the bottom and side of the fiume, said liner being clamped between the anges of said side members and the flume bottom along each side, and said liner extending up over the top edge of said side members and under said tie bars, whereby, upon the removal of said tie bars and the demounting of said side members, said liner will be free to be removed and after removal Will be in condition for reuse when said flume is again set up.

ROSS HOUSTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 765,631 McNab July 19, 1904 1,036,162 Stovall Aug. 20, 1912 1,563,481 Gilchrist Dec. 1, 1923 2,277,701 Houston Mar. 31, 1942 

